[TN-Bird] FOUR species of Grebes - Mud Island
- From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2004 20:13:29 EST
Nov. 5, 2004
Mud Island
Shelby Co. TN
Mike Todd and I watched the Clarke's Grebe from the parking lot on Mud Island
till it was too dark to see this afternoon. I found the bird at 8:45 this
morning swimming with 3 Ruddy Ducks and I arrived back at the lot about 2:30 PM
to find the Clarke's tooling around with 2 Eared Grebes that were not there in
the AM. Scanning around, I found both the Pied and Horned Grebes that had been
present earlier.
The Common Loon, that I had photographed earlier, had disappeared and later
the Surf Scoter evidently departed; just before sundown Mike and I watched the
Red-breasted Mergansers leave.
The first time I saw the Clarke's this morning was the closest that I was to
see it all day as it was coming around the east end of the upper dike.
Luckily, Jesse McCade, an old buddy from the Audubon Society, drove up just as
I
found the bird and with the morning sun at our backs, we were able to see white
lores, the eye being isolated in white, the narrowness of the dark stripe down
the nape, the bright clear yellow bill and the over all grayish tinge to the
body, all good marks for Clarke's over Western.
The photos taken are not very good due to heat waves and distance but do show
most of these features. While Mike saw these features with the exception of
the bill color this afternoon, we were both treated to the bird standing up in
the water facing us and flapping its wings, thus showing the extensive white
underwing, another ID point marked off. I had seen this before Mike arrived and
advised him on what to look for if it happened again, the underwing on this
bird fits Clarke's. I also saw the upper wing once when the bird spread it to
preen and the white wing bar extended well into the primaries, also good for
Clarke's.
Hopefully the bird might stick around but the river is rising again with the
island used by 30 Ring-billed Gulls this morning completely gone this
afternoon. I wished all the time I was watching, that the bird would swim below
the
south dike which would put it in Arkansas water as they do not have a record
for
this species at this time. Maybe tomorrow..........
Good Birding!!!
Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett, TN
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